Castle Helfurt
After the death of her husband Voislav, Lydia spared no expense renovating Castle Helfurt. Windows were draped with colourful banners, the masonry scrubbed clean, and exotic furniture from across the Old World furnished the restored palace. Much like the revitalised village of Helfurt, Lydia's storybook castle is a marked contrast to grim Sylvania. The current inhabitants of Castle Helfurt include 22 Zombie servants and 6 living servants, all of whom wear fancy uniforms. The main gate is tended by a pallid living servant who announces visitors to Lydia before admitting them. Layout Nursery Formerly the banquet hall, this room was later converted into a nursery. The room is now littered with toys and mouldy sweets. Master Bedroom Lydia's loft-style bed overlooks this room. Two armoires hold Lydia's clothes; a third is home to a nest of moths and mouldering finery. Lydia's dresser (conspicuously lacking a mirror) is cluttered with perfume bottles and makeup. Voislav's ashes are stored in an urn by the window. Six suits of superior Arabyan finery (small sized) are displayed on racks. Servants' Quarters Only two of these rooms are in use. The others are filled haphazardly with Voislav's old junk, including clothing, furniture, and portraits. Piled in a corner are nine of Voislav's beloved Stitch Slaves: winged abominations sewn together from Human body parts. Grand Ballroom A massive chandelier built from Human rib cages is suspended above the dance floor. Low, eerie music emanates from the walls, increasing in volume with the amount of activity in the room. Tormented faces appear on the walls in Lydia's presence, moving their lips with the music. These Ghosts are Voislav's former musicians, bound within the walls centuries ago for embarrassing the baron. Those who dance within this room find it near impossible to stop, whilst any living musicians playing must do so in time with the Ghosts or suffer mockery from the vindictive phantoms. The floor is polished to a glassy sheen, making the absence of Lydia's reflection apparent to any who're paying attention, yet if one moves too fast, they risk slipping off their feet. Portrait Hall This long hallway contains a dozen or so portraits of unidentified subjects, but the faces are noticeably pale. The central and most recent portrait is obviously Lydia, looking quite miserable. There are four portraits conspicuously absent; including Voislav and three of his most boorish relatives. The missing portraits are currently stored in the servants' quarters. Kitchen & Coach House Two servants busily prepare the wedding feast from exotic ingredients imported from Bretonnia and Araby. Some of the finer delicacies include: poached camel testicles with amaranth, pickled frogs in nutsedge brine, and the household favourite—caramelised eyeball kebobs flambé. Lydia's carriage and two horses are kept in the attached coach house. The carriage is currently outfitted with skis for the winter. Guests' Quarters These well-appointed rooms are connected by a door that may be locked from either side. Voislav had the walls drilled with peepholes that Lydia still uses for spying. A silk rope rings the servants' bell, which summons a Zombie bearing a decanter of water. Hidden Study The entrance is cleverly camouflaged, requiring exceptional effort to stumble upon. Rows of bookshelves line the walls, and the desk is piled high with scrolls and ingredients. Wires dangle from the ceiling where Voislav's Stitch Slaves were formerly displayed, but the dead Vampire's belongings have been removed. Dungeon This dusty room was used by Voislav for torturing captives. Lydia has no qualms about torturing those she believes stand between her and Ahmed. Set into the floor of the dungeon is a prison cell accessed by a floor grate. The cell houses a starving Vampire thrall named Reingard and the desiccated remains of one Sir Constantin. Long ago, the Vampire Hunter Reingard was defeated and given the Blood Kiss for Voislav's amusement. The imprisoned Reingard's only source of blood was an unlucky knight named Constantin, and now that Constantin is dead, Reingard must beg Lydia for blood. Torture implements include: blood taps, assorted pliers for tooth and nail extraction, large cauldrons, and a crank-driven wheel upon which prisoners may be spun into a state of vertigo. Zombie torturers operate these devices at Lydia's command. Otherwise, they just shuffle about dumbly. The secret escape tunnel can be blocked with an iron portcullis and leads to the bathhouse at Mistgarten. Escape Tunnel and Dhar Pool The air in this damp tunnel is heavy with steam, and water collects in puddles on the floor. Those unfamiliar with the tunnel's twists and turns must proceed cautiously. The tunnel connects Castle Helfurt's dungeon with the Mistgarten spa. Near the western end of the tunnel, a narrow side branch slopes treacherously downward into blackness. Those with Magical Sense can detect the presence of arcane evil emanating from the murky depths. Indeed, this side branch opens into a small cavern after twenty yards. Dark magic (or Dhar) permeates the air so heavily in this cavern that non-magical light sources are completely useless. Yet, in the presence of such power, Necromancers find themselves all the more able to work their magics. Lydia herself has become attuned to the pool and, therefore, benefits from it even if half a mile away. Prolonged exposure to the pool of Dhar causes an unnatural withering sensation on mortal flesh. Staying any longer can prove fatal or worse. Source * : Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED -- The Thousand Thrones ** : pg. 180 ** : pg. 181 Category:Carstein Category:Sylvania Category:C Category:H